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BBC Trust blows £3m on new HQ

THE BBC watchdog responsible for ensuring that licence fee-payers get value for money has spent £3.2m on new headquarters after rejecting space in the corporation's buildings.

The BBC Trust signed a £2.2m, eight-year lease for the first floor of a converted Edwardian mansion in central London last month to house its 60 staff. It spent a further £1m on refurbishment, including £250,000 on interior designers, project management and removals, and £400,000 on fitting out the building.

The trust was previously housed in another building, alongside two BBC departments. When the offices were sold, it insisted that it needed "physical separation" to protect its independence.

The trust has signed the lease even though its very existence is under threat. Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary, has criticised it for being a "cheerleader" of the BBC. Earlier this month the Tories pledged to abolish it if they won the general election.